Something Different
by Rose Laflesh
Summary: Zim has realized that Gaz's plan was just a trick. He must find a way to rescue Dib and restore a mind shattered by his father's attempts to change him. A world full of enemies is nothing new to Zim, but he no longer has access to his usual tools. Even excessive use of his PAK will ruin his plans to save Dib, and maybe the universe if he gets around to it.


Sorry for it taking so long to get this up. I've had a lot of this written for a long time, but things got kind of crazy. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next part of this crazy story I'm coming up with.

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Zim felt as like he had just woken up. His bruised body was covered in cuts and his face stung from water burns. He searched his memory to try and figure out how he reached such a state, but the last thing he remembered was being curled up next to Dib. He had a faint yet somehow recent memory of telling Dib he'll rescue him, followed by pain, or did the pain come first? Zim couldn't remember.

Some human's bony arm dug into Zim's organs as he carried Zim away. Something moved in the corner of Zim's vision. He looked up to see Dib standing next to his father. They both walked away, their backs to Zim.

Zim wanted to call out to Dib, to explain, but his voice wouldn't work. Zim squirmed to try and get free, but his body wouldn't respond. It was like his limbs weren't his own anymore. The lab humans struck Zim on the head.

Consciousness faded.. Brief flashes of awareness. Tossed about by humans. The hum of some sort of engine. Gaz's orders to lock Zim up, "he might be useful later. Dib was." The hard impact of being dropped on the floor. Waking up for a few seconds to get to a bed before collapsing on the ground and passing out again. It happened a few times.

While he had no idea how long he had been out of it, he knew it was long enough for all his injuries to heal. Irkins healed much faster than humans, but without a medical drone, it must have been a week at least.

Zim pushed away his pain and staggered to his feet to try the door. It was locked. Of course it was, Zim thought to himself as he remembered Gaz in one of his fleeting moments of consciousness. She was a horrifying human, so she must be responsible for Dib betraying Zim Zim didn't know what, but she did something.

He paced around the room. His stomach ached, but he ignored it. If there was one thing his invader training has prepared him for, it was dealing with pain and hunger.

What he couldn't prepare for was the electric shock that paralyzed every muscle. As if the time centers of his brain wheren't fried enough, the shock felt like it had went on for an hour, when Zim was sure it only went on for a few seconds before he collapsed to the ground, his limbs useless. The click of several locks echoed in the steel door and Gaz strolled in, flanked by two gun weilding soldiers.

"I'm sorry for this Zim, but we have to make sure Membrane didn't do anything to you. I hope you understand." Gaz towered over Zim.

"What I understand is that this is all your fault," Zim hissed through the pain, "Dib would never have betrayed me, but you did something. You're on Membrane's side."

"You're just confused. Membrane tricked Dib to his side. I'm on your side Zim."

Zim noticed something in Gaz's hand as she brought it up to her face. It was one of her gaming devices, and she began playing around with it.

"Stop playing your games and tell Zim the truth!"

Gaz sighed and handed her game to one of her soldiers. She didn't say anything but they seemed to know what to do. Both of them turned around and walked out the door, locking the room behind them. Gaz didn't take her eyes off Zim. She reached to her side like she was grabbing something invisible and a gun materialized in her hand.

"What's going on! What are you!" Zim screamed.

Gaz didn't answer. She leveled the gun at Zim's head. Before she had the chance to pull the trigger, Zim pulled all his strength into unfolding his spider legs and crawled out of the way. His limbs still numbed from the electric shock, and slowly getting better,. Gaz pulled the trigger, but Zim managed to get out of the way in time to avoid the plasma beam. Gaz re-aimed the gun. With a swing of his spider leg, Zim knocked it out of her hand. The gun floated in the air for a second before flying back to Gaz's fingers.

A red laser came from the gun, burning Zim's shoulder as he tried to jump out of the way. The next shot was a bullet that came close enough to Zim's attenna that he could feel the shock wave.

"How are you doing this. No human can do this," Zim said.

"Duh," Gaz said as she shot a wave of sound powerful enough to disable Zim's legs and knock the wind out of his lungs.

Zim collapsed to the floor. He gasped for breath. Gaz leaned over him, the gun aimed between Zim's eyes.

"I demand you tell me what's going on."

"Why should I?" Gaz said.

With all the strength he could muster, Zim lunged at Gaz., using his spider legs to stab through her arms. She tried to fire the gun, but was barely able to singe Zim with the next blast before he pinned her to the ground.

"Tell Zim what's going on. What are you!"

Gaz struggled but she was stuck. "I knew I should have killed you sooner. I knew you were beyond control, but I'm going to kill you now." Flames erupted around them, bitting at Zim's flesh, but he did not move.

Zim twisted the blades on his legs, making the Gaz-creature scream out. "Tell Zim everything. What did you do to Dib's sister?"

The flames died down and Gaz sneered. "I keep forgetting how big of an idiot you are. I always know you're stupid, but every time you speak you sink to new level of stupid."

"Tell ZIM!"

"There's no point. You'll be dead soon enough."

"You're with the Yolom, aren't you. Aren't you!"

"I am Yolom. I'm Gaz and I've always been Gaz, and this planet is mine."

"You speak nonsense!" Zim shrieked.

Gaz tore her arm away from Zim's legs and called a gun in the shape of a human pistol and held it to Zim's head. "You can think what you like."

Zim was too close to dodge the shot and another blast of plasma burned through his head. Zim collapsed on top of Gaz. He was motionless.

Gaz pulled the metal legs out of her arms and stood up. She brushed the wounds and cuts off her sleeves as if they were merely dust and the gun that was in her hands had disapparelling back into nothingness.

"Finally, I thought that he'd never die." She paused and stared at Zim for a while, giving him a kick to the head to make sure he's not faking it. Zim remained limp.

The doors unlocked and the two soldiers walked back in.

"Shall we destroy the remains?"

"One second," Gaz said, opening up Zim's PAK.

"What are you doing?"

"Just making absolutely sure he's dead. He's a moron, and I have a feeling he might be too stupid to know how to die."

"Too stupid to die, ma'am?"

"With his kind, you'd be surprised." Gaz muttered as she read over the diagnostics of the PAK. "Alright, take him away."

The soldiers each grabbed am arm and dragged Zim away. The spider legs scraped against the floor like metal noodles. Gaz followed close behind.


End file.
